2/21/10

Funny Games with George and Martha - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

You can sit around with the gin running out of your mouth; you can humiliate me; you can tear me to pieces all night, that's perfectly okay, that's all right.

So you think you've seen horror films, huh? You think you've had your nerves shattered by Freddy, Norman, Michael and Jason? You think you've been taken to the edge watching movies like Saw and Hostel?

Ha! That's all kid stuff when you stack it up against one of the most gut wrenching, nerve racking, unapologetic kick to the balls that is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Go ahead, strap yourself in and see if you can really stand being dragged to hell.

Based on a play by Edward Albee, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.tells the tale of George and Martha; he's an alcoholic, impotent college professor - she's his blowzy, boozy wife... and she's also the daughter of the college's Dean.

One night George and Martha invite a young couple (Nick and his wife, Honey) over to their home after a dinner party, and that's when the fun begins. Mind games are on the menu tonight, and these games put anything Jigsaw ever dreamed of to shame - oh sure, you won't see any blood or guts, but that's besides the point, these games go deeper and they rip open and trample the heart, the soul and the psyche. You see, George and Martha are well versed in verbal and psychological abuse, and they'll make their way into the deepest recess of your being to where your insecurities lie, and expose them to the booze soaked light of reality.

But innocent bystanders fall by the wayside when the collegiate creeps turn the dark rays on each other...it's no holds bared when you can so fuck with each others heads that you can create and kill a child that has never really existed!

For the young folk out there, keep in mind that Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.is a long, talky, drama - these were the kind of movies people used to pay good money to see before our collective brains went all ADHD thanks to television and video games- also, most of the film is set in a cluttered living room, there are no special effects to speak of ...well except one: Elizabeth Taylor (who plays Martha) was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time (Think Angelina Jolie, but with talent) - in order for her to become believable as a hateful, gin soaked harpy, she gained 35 pounds, and went through a make over that went something like this:

The rest of the cast is equally phenomenal. Richard Burton (Taylor's husband at the time) is a slimy, scary creation - he's so believable, you can almost smell him (I imagine cheap cologne, gin, cigarette smoke and something musty).

As for the young couple: George Segal is a handsome if innocuous young professor, but Sandy Dennis steals the show as his dippy, naive wife.

All in all, Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf separates the men from the boys. You can talk a big game about how you might have watched Cannibal Holocaust, but if you really want to earn your merit badge in the world of cinematic mind fucks, try and sit through this one and see if you don't come away battered and beaten down.

I'd love for my fellow horror bloggers to give this one a chance, if you do watch the film, or if you've seen it, let me know what you think. As for the rest of you:what are you waiting for? George and Martha are waiting, bottles in hand, ice in glasses, and games ready to be played - dare you join them?

Proof that Liz could act- "Virgina Woolf" is hands down one of the best to come out of the 60's. Just watched it again the other night and I'm blown away every time. I'd love to see some of today's actresses try to pull a role like this off...

Just watched this Friday night Pax, and remembered this post! What an extraordinary film and definitely one that really takes a toll on the old noggin and heart. I don't think George's was impotent but I do believe Martha was barren. Killing the child was the ultimate blow for her. What a crushing depiction of reality eh? I've never sat through a film that made me laugh so much and then want to die a little.

your host: Pax Romano

Horror movie fan, and all around mofo

About This Blog

I love horror films, been watching them all of my life.
As a gay man, I've come to note the more homo-erotic subtext in many of these films. From the obvious in films like, Interview With the Vampire, to the more subtle in movies like, Scream.
So, what I intend to do with this blog, is, from time to time, highlight a movie that is both scary as well as sensual,(or just plain campy) provided those elements are borne of gay or lesbian sensibilities.